Tutorial and Research Literacy

In the fall, Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the Libraries run at a hectic pace as librarians interact with Tutorial classes in a variety of ways -- teaching research literacy sessions in Burling’s computer commons, lounge, and computer classroom, visiting and teaching class sessions in Noyce and other classroom buildings around campus, leading tours around Burling Library and Kistle Science Library, and introducing first-year students to key members of library staff.

These activities come about through partnerships between Tutors and faculty librarians. New students often first meet the Grinnell College librarians and initially encounter the Libraries’ print and online collections through these Tutorial experiences, which are meant to introduce students to library resources and to the people who will support their academic work in Tutorial and beyond.

Tutorial students are learning through these partnerships, and so are librarians, by paying close attention to the always-evolving research experiences that first-years carry along with them to Grinnell. Working closely with Tutorial students gives librarians the opportunity to see firsthand how each new generation of college students approaches their academic work, and librarians look forward to learning as they teach.

These fall semester collaborations among librarians, Tutors, and first-year students are a major component of the Libraries’ research literacy program, and helping students develop research literacy is at the core of the work of Grinnell College librarians. Tutorial partnerships are a great way to begin this important work.